Nepal achieved a historic milestone in international T20 cricket by defeating the West Indies by 19 runs in the first match of their three-match T20I series at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Saturday. This victory marked Nepal’s first-ever win against a full member nation of the International Cricket Council (ICC), giving them a 1-0 lead in the series.The West Indies won the toss and chose to field first, restricting Nepal to 148/8 in their 20 overs. Nepal’s innings was built on key contributions from their middle order after early setbacks.Nepal struggled initially, losing Kushal Bhurtel (5) and Aasif Sheikh (3) early to find themselves at 12/2 in the fourth over. However, captain Rohit Paudel (38 off 35 balls), Kusal Malla (30 from 21), and Gulsan Jha (22 off 16) helped stabilize the innings.Jason Holder was the standout bowler for West Indies, taking 4-20, while Navin Bidaisee claimed 3-29, including the crucial wickets of Paudel and Malla in consecutive overs.The West Indies’ chase got off to a poor start when Kyle Mayers was run out by Kushal Bhurtel for just five runs. Their batting never gained momentum as wickets fell regularly.Several West Indies batsmen got starts but failed to convert them into significant scores. Amir Jangoo (19), Ackeem Auguste (15), Keacy Carty (16), and Navin Bidaisee (22) all departed after brief stays at the crease.Despite late resistance from Fabian Allen (19 off 14) and captain Akeal Hosein (18 off 9), the West Indies could only manage 129/9 in their 20 overs, falling short by 19 runs.The second T20I of the series is scheduled for September 29. The West Indies team was notably missing several of their regular players for this match.Nepal’s bowling attack maintained consistent pressure throughout the innings, with Kushal Bhurtel taking 2-17 in his spell, contributing significantly to their historic victory.